Coming into the 2025 season, the Cincinnati Bengals are looking to bounce back from two straight disappointing seasons. After signing wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase to long-term extensions, the Bengals will have one of the most prolific passing attacks in the NFL. While the Bengals likely will have a high-flying offense, there are significant question marks about the surrounding cast outside of quarterback Joe Burrow and his two elite wide receivers. To make a playoff run and ultimately have a chance to win a Super Bowl, it is essential to be strong on both offensive and defensive lines and have a strong defensive secondary, especially in a strong AFC North division. Consequently, we have compiled power rankings for each position group within the Bengals’ 2025 roster.
11. Safeties
To say that the Cincinnati Bengals have a lack of depth at safety is a significant understatement. Geno Stone leads Cincinnati’s safety group, and Stone has shown the ability to perform at a high level in the Bengals’ defensive backfield. In 2024, Stone played in all 17 games, producing four interceptions, 47 solo tackles, 34 assists, six pass deflections, and four quarterback hurries. After Stone, Jordan Battle is the next best candidate, who is a better run support player compared to his lackluster coverage skills. Behind Battle and Stone are Tycen Anderson and Daijahn Anthony, who both come into the season hoping to earn opportunities to compete on special teams for Cincinnati. Under Al Golden’s defensive scheme, the Bengals will need to have solid play at safety, which has not been the standard over the last few seasons.
10. Offensive Line
Another position group where the Bengals have depth concerns is along Cincinnati’s offensive line. Over the past few seasons, Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and center Ted Karras have been considered effective performers in the NFL. The offensive guard position is a different story, and the lack of quality at the guard position has led to significant problems in the Bengals’ run game and pass protection. In addition, Amarius Mims has struggled to find his groove in the NFL so far. Cincinnati’s hopes to shore up their offensive line with 2025 draft pick Dylan Fairchild at left guard and free agent acquisition Lucas Patrick at right guard. In addition, Cincinnati has also hired an up-and-coming offensive line coach, Scott Peters, and the Bengals hope that Peters will be able to help improve the performance of the offensive line.
9. Nickelbacks
Another questionable position for the Bengals is at the Nickelback, otherwise known as a Slot Corner, in Al Golden’s 4-2 Nickel defensive scheme. During the 2024 season, the Bengals played Mike Hilton at Nickel. Still, during free agency, Cincinnati chose not to re-sign Hilton due to his extensive injury history while playing for Cincinnati. Hilton moving on, opened the door for a new Nickel, and ironically, the latest addition to the defense will be cornerback Dax Hill. However, Hill is also coming off an injury in 2024 that limited him to only playing in 5 games. While rookie Jalen Davis and second-year player Lance Robinson are backups for Hill, another injury could put the Bengals in a position to have an unproven player at a key position in their 2025 defensive lineup.
8. Cornerbacks
The Cornerback position is their strongest position in the Bengals’ defensive secondary. DJ Turner II likely will be the top cornerback for the Bengals in 2025; however, like other Cincinnati defensive backs, Turner II is coming into 2025 off an injury-shortened season in 2024. Cam Taylor-Britt is statistically the most consistent cornerback for the Bengals defense after he played in 17 games in 2024, and recorded three interceptions, 58 solo tackles, 19 assists, and .5 quarterback sacks. The next man up at cornerback for the Bengals is Marco Wilson, but in 2024, he only had two solo tackles while playing in six games. Also behind Wilson, the Bengals have Bralyn Lux, Josh Newton, and DJ Ivey, all of whom will be competing for the opportunity to be contributors for Cincinnati during the 2025 season.
7. Tight Ends
The Tight End position has been a traditional strength for Cincinnati over the last 20 years. In 2025, the Bengals have everything they need at the tight end position, but one player on the Bengals roster does not embody those qualities. Mike Gesicki received a three-year contract extension after a successful 2024 season, where he caught 65 passes for 665 yards and two touchdowns; however, Gesicki is a receiving specialist in a tight end body. However, Cincinnati’s starting tight end officially is Drew Sample once again, and he primarily fulfills the role of a blocking tight end. But Sample caught 20 passes for 109 yards and one touchdown in 2024. In addition, Tanner Hudson has also signed a one-year contract extension. Cam Grandy is another potential blocking tight end, and Kole Taylor adds depth to the Bengals’ tight end position.
6. Specialists
BBengals kicker Evan McPherson has been a valuable kicker for Cincinnati, but in 2024, McPherson had a down season while playing in only 12 games. During those 12 games, McPherson made 16 out of 22 field goals and 37 out of 38 extra point attempts. Punter Ryan Rehkow had a successful season, averaging 49.1 yards per punt during his rookie year in 2024. In addition, Rehkow only allowed five punts to result in touchbacks. Long snapper Cal Adomitis has established himself as a fixture on special teams for the Bengals, starting in 49 games since 2022. Punt and kick returner Charlie Jones has fulfilled return duties since being drafted in 2023, and he has returned five kicks for 200 yards and a kick return touchdown, along with 37 punt returns for 347 yards and one punt return touchdown.
5. Defensive Line
It is essential to note that this assessment of the Bengals’ Defensive Line depends on the Bengals’ ability to have defensive end Trey Hendrickson on the field in 2025. During the 2024 season, Hendrickson led the NFL with 17.5 quarterback sacks, 33 solo tackles, 13 assists, six pass deflections, and 36 quarterback hurries. On the other end of the defense, Joseph Ossai will be working to improve his production in 2025 after only recording five quarterback sacks and 25 total tackles. However, if the Bengals can end their conflict with 2025 17th-pick Shemar Stewart over his rookie contract, then he could compete for playing time over Ossai. At defensive tackle, the Bengals are strong with B.J. Hill and T.J. Slaton, who have been consistent performers in the middle of Cincinnati’s defensive line. Myles Murphy is working to compete for playing time at a rotational position for the Bengals in 2025.
4. Running Backs
The Bengals’ Running Back position is due for a rebound after sending Joe Mixon to the Houston Texans a few seasons ago. In 2025, Chase Brown will be Cincinnati’s feature back after rushing for 990 yards and seven rushing touchdowns in 2024. In addition, Brown caught 54 passes for 360 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. Before the 2024 season, the Bengals signed Zack Moss to fortify their offensive backfield, but he only played in six games in 2024. During those six games, Moss ran for 242 yards and two rushing touchdowns. He also caught 23 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown. Samaje Perine returns to Cincinnati for the third time in his NFL career, and 2025 6th-round draft pick Tahj Brooks expects to make a significant impact during his rookie year in 2025.
3. Linebackers
The Cincinnati Bengals’ top defensive position group is their collection of 2025 Linebackers. Middle linebacker Logan Wilson will lead that group, and Wilson is coming back after an injury that limited him to only playing in 11 games in 2024. During those 11 games, Wilson had 55 solo tackles, 49 assists, four quarterback hurries, and one pass deflection. Joining Wilson is 2025 2nd-round draft pick Demetrius Knight Jr., who comes into the NFL ready to play after a six-year career in college football. In addition, the Bengals signed former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Oren Burks after he had only played in two games for Philadelphia in 2024. 2025 4th-round draft pick Barrett Carter will also be a contributor at linebacker for the Bengals this season.
2. Wide Receivers
Cincinnati has solidified the Wide Receiver for the next four seasons with the contract extensions that they reached with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. During the 2024 season, Chase had a career-high 127 receptions for 1,708 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns. Tee Higgins also had an outstanding season while only playing in 12 games in 2024, catching 73 passes for 911 receiving yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns. The only weak spot for the Bengals’ receiver position is slot receiver Andre Iosivas, who only caught 36 passes for 479 yards and six touchdowns in 2024. In his second year in the NFL, Jermaine Burton should play a larger role in 2025 than he did in 2024. During the 2024 season, Burton only caught four passes for 107 yards.
1. Quarterback
The most crucial position group for the success of the 2025 Cincinnati Bengals is Quarterback, specifically Joe Burrow. During his five seasons with Cincinnati, Burrow has achieved outstanding success. Still, he has also suffered several injuries, primarily due to the large number of hits he has taken. In 2024, Burrow completed 70.6% of his passes for 4,918 passing yards, along with 43 touchdown passes and only nine interceptions. Burrow also ran the ball for 201 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Behind Burrow is proven backup quarterback Jake Browning, who stepped in for Burrow in 2023, playing in 9 games, completing 70.4% of his passes for 1,936 yards, along with 12 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. Logan Woodside returns to the Bengals as a backup quarterback, having spent several seasons with the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons.
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